US President Obama will soon begin his official visit to Indonesia. Before Obama's arrival, people in Indonesia have already staged protests in several cities. They burnt the US flags and used shoes to throw at President Obama's portrait posters. It seems that the shoe throwing act as means to denounce US reputation overseas has been set by former US President George W. Bush when it happened to him.
Elsewhere a bronze status of Obama depicting him as a school boy was also removed from a public park near Jakarta where President Obama used to live when he was a boy. Prior to this, this bronze sculpture of President Obama as a 10-year-old boy has triggered controversy when the sculpture was in a public park. This sculpture of a smiling Obama as a boy was dressed in shorts and T-shirt with a butterfly landed on his left thumb. At the base of the statue has inscription of these words, "Once there was a boy called Barry (Obama's childhood name) played here. Now he has grown up and become the 44th President of the United States. He is also a Nobel Peace Prize winner."
This lovely bronze status of boy Obama has good intention. The artist who made the sculpture hoped that the bronze portrait of Obama as a school boy could encourage young people to pursue their dream. However some Indonesians felt that since Obama was not an Indonesian hero and since he did not make any significant contribution to Indonesia, his statue should not be placed in public place. As such, this bronze statue was eventually removed from the public park and put in the compound of the primary school where President Obama used to attend.
Expanding Strategic Partnership
Despite local resistance, it is clear that President Obama is firmed to visit Indonesia. The visit of President Obama to Indonesia has reflected the importance of Indonesia to the White House.
Of course, President Obama's coming visit to Indonesia is not an emotional visit for him to revisit his childhood land. The main reason for President Obama's visit to Indonesia is because the United States wants to develop and expand the strategic partnership ties with Indonesia.
It is learned that the United States is prepared to resume the US training for the Indonesian Special Forces. The United States also plans to strengthen military exchange and cooperation with Indonesia and also to strengthen US cooperation with Indonesian on counterterrorism effort.
Establishing Positive Image
Another reason why Washington is keen to improve its ties with Indonesia is also because the United States is making an attempt to extend US influence in Southeast Asia in order to check and balance China's influence in this part of the world. Although Indonesia is the largest economy in Southeast Asia, there is a long relational gap of Indonesia's bilateral ties with China.
Moreover, Indonesia is also the world's most populous Muslim country. To a certain extent, Washington knows that by strengthening the US relationship with Indonesia, the United States can improve the relationship with the Muslim world. This improved and strengthened US-Indonesian ties can allow the United States to establish a positive image in other Muslin countries. This in turn will help the United States to handle the Afghanistan and the Israeli-Palestinian issues easier.
However, we still have to observe and see to see if President Obama's visit to Indonesia can achieve the substantial goals the United States hopes to achieve eventually.
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